Meredith Mellark
by peeta.mellark.fiction
Summary: When Peeta's 12 year old sister, along with their friend Gale, is reaped for the Hunger Games, she has to learn to make big decisions that will cost people their lives, and maybe even her own. Will she survive? ...This is my first fanfic so plz read!...
1. Chapter 1

I bolt upright in bed and stare at the wall, breathing heavily. I must have had another nightmare again, only Peeta isn't here to comfort me like he always does. But he's probably still sleeping. I don't blame him. I'm not really looking forward to today, because today is the most dreaded day of the year, the Reaping. I know Peeta isn't looking forward to it either, being this is his fourth year and all. Not that anyone else looks forward to it…except for Capitol citizens. This is my first year to be participating in the Reaping, and like all the other kids, I'm nervous. But not because I'm afraid that I will get picked. I'm afraid for my friends, Prim, Katniss, Gale, Rory, Vick, and Madge. And of course for my brother Peeta. But I push these thoughts aside as I get up to go get ready.

Just as I'm opening the door, Peeta calls me. "Meredith? Is that you?" I turn around to find him sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Darn. I didn't want to wake him up. "Oh Peeta, I'm sorry that I woke you, I was just…" But he quickly gets up and embraces me. I hug him back, thankful that he wasn't mad, but it's not like he's ever mad at anyone. Especially me. He knows what I'm going through. I let go and look up into those deep blue eyes, the ones that match mine. "Don't be sorry, everything's fine." He says with a smile on his face. Then he frowns for a moment. "You ok Mer?" I was confused for a moment until I realized that a small tear was dripping down my cheek. I quickly wipe it away. "Yeah I'm fine. It's just…I'm scared Peeta." He hugs me again and strokes my soft, brown curls. Even though I'm a merchant's daughter, I have brown hair. No one knows where that came from. It's not like any of my parents or relatives have brown hair. I'm the only one. "I know" he says calmly. "It's your first year Mer and your name is only in there once; they're not going to pick you." "But what if they pick_ you_? Or Gale or Katniss? And what about Prim…" my voice trails off. Prim is my best friend. We always go out to the meadow and pick flowers while Katniss, Peeta, and Gale go out into the woods. Sometimes they even drag Prim and I out there, if they convince us enough.

"I'm sure that won't happen." Peeta says. "Come on now, Mom made us blueberry pancakes, your favorite!" "Okay." I say, and we walk into the kitchen together. The table is already set with pancakes on our plates. Mother always makes blueberry pancakes on Reaping day; it's almost like a tradition. She's been making them ever since I can remember. I plop down in my chair and just stare at the pancakes. I'm not really hungry. But I manage to eat just a few bites before I have to get ready. We have to be at the square by noon, and it's already 10:30. I hurry out if the kitchen and change into a white blouse with small purple flowers on them and a grey skirt that was left on my bed. They belonged to my mother when she was my age. Just as I finish changing, my mother comes in to our room.

"Want me to braid your hair?" she asks. "Sure" I say. I've noticed that I'm not my normal self today. I'm usually all happy and bubbly, not shy and depressed. Well, I guess no one is going to be happy today, except maybe those stuck up, arrogant kids from Districts 1, 2, and 4 because they actually _want _to be chosen for the Games. They scare me, too. We walk into the bathroom and my mother begins to braid my hair. After she's done, she ties the ends with small elastic bands, and I notice that my hair is I two separate braids. "Thank you, it looks beautiful." I say with a smile.

Peeta comes in and says it's almost noon and we have to leave now in order to make it to the square. I hold Peeta's hand and we all walk to the square and take our places in our category. I glance back at Peeta, who has a worried look on his face, but then I nod reassuringly and turn around quickly to find Prim and Katniss waiting for me. We take our places just as the announcer from the capitol begins. "Welcome everyone! Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" she says in her crazy capitol accent. I'm pretty sure her name's Effie. She's wearing a bright, puffy prink outfit that definitely stands out from the crowd. It's kinda weird looking. But you know, they're from the Capitol.

Then the announcer continues with the same video and speech they show us every year, basically telling us what had happened to the districts when they have gotten out of hand during the Rebellion. Then President Snow wishes us a Happy Hunger Games, and the pulling of the names begins. Prim attentively holds my hand, and I give it a tight squeeze. My palms start to get sweaty, and I nervously search for my friends in the crowd. Of course, Katniss and Prim are standing right next to me, and I spot Peeta and Gale in the boys' section. But where's Madge? Then I realize she's standing right next to Katniss, holding her hand like I'm holding Prim's, only she looks calm and determined. Unlike me.

Suddenly Effie startles me with her "Ladies first!" She walks over to the girls' reaping ball, and takes her time digging around for a slip of paper. I'm nearly out of breath by the time she finally pulls out a slip and heads over to the microphone. "And our female tribute for the 74th Hunger Games is…" I close my eyes and pray that it's not anyone I know.

"Meredith Mellark!"

My heart skips a beat. _What? What did they just say?_

I look over at Prim and to see that she's already crying and Katniss and Madge are giving me a sympathetic look. Now everyone is looking back at me, trying to make a pathway through the crowd so I can get to the stage. "Come along now don't be shy!" Effie says in her high pitched voice. I slowly make my way up to the stage and stand next to Effie. I try to act calm even though silent tears are streaming down my face. Then Effie says "And now to the men!" I look over at Peeta and see fear in his eyes. Right now all I am thinking about is him. I'm really not paying attention to Effie until she says,

"Gale Hawthorne!"

Gale walks up to the stage and takes his place, looking dignified. _Why is this happening to me?_ This is exactly what I was afraid of. The mayor makes a small speech and orders us to shake hands. Then we are quickly forced into the Justice Building, waiting to say our goodbyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ok so here's Chapter 2! This one is a little longer than the first one. Sorry that I didn't have an author's note for the first chapter because I was still figuring out how to use it. Ok well anyway sorry if that chapter wasn't too exciting…but it will get better! And btw "Mer" is short for Meredith, it's kind of her nickname. And for this story I will be keeping all of the characters and tributes, and I also will be making up names for the characters that didn't have any. (ex- The boy from District 3) Enjoyyy :)**

* * *

I'm sitting on a small couch in one of the rooms in the Justice Building when my family bursts through the doors. They immediately pull me into a hug when the tears come. "I'm so sorry mom!" I say as I cry into her shirt. "Shhh…no worries everything is alright, you don't have to be sorry." she says. "No, everything is _not_ alright. I'm probably just going to die out there in the arena!" I sob. My mother falls silent. Then she pulls back and looks me straight in the eye. "I love you, you know that right? And I trust in you…you're going to come home." she says quietly. Then my dad gives me a long, loving hug. "You'll be ok, Mer." he says. I just nod slightly, and then he hands me a bag that says "Mellark Bakery" on it. "They're cookies and brownies. Peeta and I made them for you before the Reaping." He says while he looks down at the floor. "Thank you." I manage to choke out.

Then Peeta walks in and my parents leave. "Peeta…" I cry. He quickly hugs me and we stay like this for a long time, until he finally speaks up. "If I could of done something to stop you from going into the arena, you know I would." That just makes me cry even harder. "I trust in you, Mer. I know you can win this."

"But what about Gale?" I ask.

"I- I don't know." Even Peeta seems like he's out of words to say.

Finally Katniss, Prim, and Madge walk in. Peeta lets go and I pull Prim into a hug. "I'll miss you so much!" she cries. We cry together until she finally says, "We brought something for you..." Katniss holds out a small, golden pin that has some kind of bird in the center with an arrow. "Is it a mockingbird?" I ask quietly. The bird looks familiar, but I honestly don't know what it is. "No, it's a mocking_jay. _We thought you might want to wear it as a district token." She says. Then Madge speaks up. "It used to belong to my Aunt Maysilee…when she was in the Hunger Games." I remember her Aunt Maysilee, well at least I remember stories about her. Madge told me she was in the 50th Hunger Games, the year our district drunkard Haymitch won. Madge takes the pin from Katniss' hand and pins it to my blouse. "Don't forget what I taught you and Prim, it could be useful." Katniss says reassuringly. "And don't forget what I taught you about plants and medicines." says Prim. We all just stand there in an awkward silence until Peeta speaks up. "We'll be waiting for you when you come home." I nod sadly and everyone looks down to the ground. Then the peacekeepers burst in, obviously not caring for our privacy, and order my friends and brother to leave immediately. After they have left, I sit back down on the couch and put my head in my hands. _I hate this. I'm never going to come out alive in the arena. _

Just then the door bursts open once again and in come Effie, Gale, and Haymitch. "Hurry up sweetheart, we have a train to catch! Now we wouldn't want to miss that, would we?" Effie squeaks. I just nod and we all get into a small, dirty car. Then something dawned on me. Since I was crying so much during the Reaping and my eyes are so puffy, I could pretend that I am weakling, to draw attention away from me. Then maybe I wouldn't be a target for most tributes.

As soon as we arrive at the train station, which is no more than a large, wooden platform, camera crews are surrounding us. They ask questions about how we felt during the Reaping and take pictures. Almost immediately, the tears come. This is good. It will be perfect for my plan to draw attention away from me. We abruptly walk onto the train when the doors close shut behind us, and then it starts moving. It's moving pretty slowly at first, but once the train station is far behind, it begins to zoom forward. Effie says to me "This train is traveling up to 250 miles per hour! Isn't technology just _wonderfu_l?" Effie asks me. After what she said sinks in, I start to feel dizzy. I sink down to the floor and lean against the wall. All that I do is just stare straight ahead and say nothing, not really caring about the worried stares I'm getting from everyone. _No Effie, technology is horrible. Anything that makes me feel like I'm going to throw up is horrible, _I think to myself.

Gale crouches down beside me and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asks. I shake my head. Why would I be alright? We just got Reaped and now we're forced onto this horrible train. He scoops me up and carries me to a seat in one of the booths in what seems to be the dining cart. He gently sets me down in a seat and takes his place across from me. We just stare out the window in silence. Surprisingly, it makes me feel a little better. After what seems to be hours, Effie and Haymitch walk in and come sit at our table. "It's time for dinner!" Effie squeaks. She orders dinner for everyone and in a matter of seconds, the table splits in two and out comes four steaming hot meals. I stare at the dish in disbelief; I have never seen this much food in my life! Even though I am not very hungry, I eat the chicken covered in sweet, orange sauce and some pudding with a cherry on top. Then Effie asks me "Are you going to eat any more food, dear?" I just shake my head, not really wanting to deal with her right now.

After everyone has finished eating, Effie asks "Shall we watch the recap of the Reapings?" Gale and I look at each other for a moment and nod our heads simultaneously. I'm guessing he's not too excited to watch what seems to be our death sentence, but when you think about it, it kind of is. Twenty four tributes are picked and only one comes out, so what are the odds that either one of us are going to survive? Maybe Gale could pull it off, because he's big and strong, and he can hunt and set up snares. But what can I do? I can shoot with a bow and arrows, but I'm not as nearly as good at Katniss, who could hit a bullseye with her eyes closed. But I don't want to think about this now. Just not now.

We head into a small room with couches set up around a large TV, just in time for the Reapings to start. First up is District 1. A girl named Glimmer was chosen, and she is smiling, waving, and blowing kisses as she walks up to the stage. This other boy named Marvel was chosen, and he look really tall. He smiles happily and they both wave to the screaming crowd. Ugh. This is _exactly_ what I mean about those kids being so stuck up and arrogant. Next comes District 2. A girl named Clove walks up to the stage with an evil grimace on her face. Ok, I have to admit that's really creepy. Then a boy named Cato volunteers before anyone else can, and while he walks up to the stage he pushes down the kid that was originally chosen. He falls to the ground and hits his head, knocking him out. I make a mental note to myself to stay away from _both_ tributes from 2. For the rest of the Reapings I just put my head in a pillow and try to ignore who is getting picked. I'm not paying attention until I hear a very familiar voice say "And our female tribute for the 74th Hunger Games is…Meredith Mellark!" And with that I run out of the room before anyone can see me cry.

I go into my room and get dressed into some pajamas that were left out and climb under the covers. I try to fall asleep, even though I know this is going to be a sleepless night. But I just can't help thinking about what is going to happen to us. Maybe I could talk to Gale about it; he probably isn't even sleeping. I finally decide to get up and look for Gale. I wander around the halls for a while until I end up in the dining cart, but he's not there. Then I make my way to the small room where we watched the recaps of the Reapings, and sure enough, Gale is there sitting on the couch. "Hey, couldn't sleep either?" I ask. "Nope." He replies. I sit down on the plush couch next to him, and I can't help looking at what he's writing.

"What's that?" I ask.

"Oh, just a list of all the tributes we're going to have to compete against." He hands me the list and I read it carefully. I'm glad he made this, otherwise I would be lost because I was only paying attention to the tributes from 1 and 2.

District 1: boy-Marvel girl-Glimmer

District 2: boy-Cato girl-Clove

District 3: boy-Tim girl-Hazel

District 4: boy-Sawyer girl-Luna

District 5: boy-Arron girl-Emerald

District 6: boy-Grayson girl-Brooklyn

District 7: boy-Glynn girl-Esther

District 8: boy-Caiden girl-Avery

District 9: boy-Jason girl-Diane

District 10: boy-Chaz girl-Leah

District 11: boy-Thresh girl-Rue

District 12: boy-Gale girl-Meredith

"Wow, it's very organized!" I joke. "So, do you have any ideas for allies?" I ask.

"Yeah, I was thinking maybe Thresh, he looks strong. But that's pretty much it." He says almost casually. "How about you?" he asks.

"Um, well I wasn't really paying attention so no, I don't have any ideas yet. But I know who I'm gonna stay away from." I joke. Gale looks confused for a moment but then a smile creeps up on his face.

"District 2?" he asks.

I nod in reply. We just sit there in awkward silence until Gale speaks up. "You know, it wouldn't be a bad idea if we were allies." He says. I just laugh. "Of course we're going to be allies." I say softly. I have a feeling that he's going to be the one trying to protect me, trying to make sure I come home. _Well, I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen._ I think to myself. _ I'm not the one who is going to come out alive. I'm going to make sure Gale comes home. _


End file.
